Procedures requiring insertion of an external instrument into the body, e.g., through the oral cavity into the esophagus, are known. Bite blocks are typically used to hold the patient's mouth open during these procedures. During these procedures, it also may be necessary to locate the instrument in an intended position. It may also be necessary to stabilize the instrument in an intended position.
There remains a need for simple, cost-effective ways to introduce an instrument through the oral cavity to locate the instrument and to selectively maintain the instrument in a fixed and stable position during a given medical procedure.